'I'm sure Gilad would be humbled'

Noam Schalit speaks to crowd at 'Day in White' solidarity rally.

gilad schalit 248 88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
gilad schalit 248 88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis wore white Tuesday, calling for the release of captured soldier Gilad Schalit. The concept was initiated by a private citizen, Ilan Spector of Beersheba, who started a Facebook group promoting the idea.
One rally, held on the Rishon Lezion college campus, was attended by captured soldier’s father Noam Schalit. He called the 'Day in White' "the solidarity that began with one man's keyboard in Beersheba which has swept the nation."
The soldier’s father continued, “I am sure that Gilad would be grateful to see this large crowd who gathered here today, and in many other places throughout the country. He would be humbled to see this concrete support and solidarity."
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This new form of protest, which came 1,042 days after Schalit's capture, attempted to recruit as many citizens possible to the movement in order to put pressure on Hamas to release the soldier.
Meanwhile, speaking to Channel 2 on Monday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he had asked Hamas to transfer the captured soldier to the West Bank and let him hammer out a deal, but to no avail.
"I have told Hamas a hundred times, 'Give Schalit to me and I'll get a deal that will satisfy everybody.'"